Research shows that females who participate in athletics have more confidence, higher self-esteem and better body images than females who do not. However, at the same time that many females reap the positive benefits of sports, some athletes struggle with and engage in dangerous eating behaviors. In fact, female athletes are three to six times more likely to exhibit disordered eating than their nonathletic peers.
Female Athlete Triad: Disordered Eating, Amenorrhea and Osteoporosis
While the exact prevalence of the female athlete triad is difficult to decipher, studies show that 16 to 72 percent of all female college athletes report dangerous eating behaviors, compared with five to 10 percent of women in the general population. In addition, amenorrhea occurs in four to 62 percent of female athletes, compared with only two to five percent of women in the general population. The female athlete triad includes:
- Disordered Eating:Disordered eating covers a range of harmful eating behaviors, including inappropriate dieting, avoiding certain "bad" foods, binging and purging and full-blown eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Disordered eating that spirals into anorexia and bulimia comes with grave consequences. Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder (10 to 15 percent of anorexics die from starvation, suicide or medical complications). Only about 40 to 45 percent of anorexics fully recover, and only about half of all bulimics fully recover.
- Amenorrhea: Amenorrhea, or loss of menstruation, occurs when estrogen levels become dangerously low, signaling the body to shut off the menstrual cycle. Estrogen plays a vital role in calcium absorption, bone growth and development and fertility. Loss of menstruation occurs when an athlete exercises intensely but fails to balance her calorie output with her calorie input. This calorie deficit decreases estrogen levels and subsequently robs the bones of critical nutrients.
- Osteoporosis: Osteoporosis occurs when low levels of estrogen and poor nutrition lead to bone fragility, bone loss and an increased risk of bone fracture, especially stress fractures among female athletes. Because women reach peak bone mass in their mid-20s to mid-30s, it is extremely important that athletes struggling with the triad receive help. Some of the lost bone density is irreversible.
Warning Signs of the Female Athlete Triad
Females from all sports are at risk for developing the triad, but females who participate in sports that emphasize weight and leanness are especially vulnerable to developing an eating disorder and the triad. Some "high risk" sports include ballet, gymnastics, figure skating, distance running, track and field, rowing and swimming.
Although the psychological red flags of the triad are not as apparent as the physical signs, females struggling with the triad frequently exhibit signs of perfectionism that lead them to train longer and harder, to train in spite of injuries and illness, to avoid eating "unhealthy" foods and to be highly critical of their performances.
Some additional psychological and physical signs include:
- unusual fatigue
- moodiness
- energy fluctuations
- impaired concentration
- depression
- dry hair and skin
- cold hands and feet
- fine hair on the face and body (indicating malnutrition)
- puffy or bloodshot eyes
- scarring over the knuckles
- eroded tooth enamel
- frequent or repeat injuries
- unexplained weight loss/fluctuations
- stress fractures
- amenorrhea
Helping Athletes with the Female Athlete Triad
The only way to 100 percent "cure" the female athlete triad and eating disorders is to prevent them from happening in the first place; hence, it is extremely important that coaches, parents and trainers educate athletes about proper sports nutrition, the dangers of disordered eating and excessive exercise and the consequences of amenorrhea and bone loss.
If you suspect an athlete may be struggling, reach out to her as soon as possible. Have her speak to a professional mental health counselor, a sports nutritionist and an eating disorder survivor. Athletes struggling with the female athlete triad must receive help so that their athletic performances and health do not suffer, and so that they can live a healthy, well-rounded life that involves more than short term performance goals.
Source:
Suzy Favor Hamilton and Jose Antonio, Fast Track: Training and Nutrition Secrets from America's Top Female Runner, Ph.D., Rodale, 2004.
Bridget Montgomery - Bridget Montgomery is a health & fitness writer with her Master of Arts in English. After teaching university writing at the University of ...
